Final Thoughts on FF XII

 

Now, after having finally finished the game, I feel like I can more fully appreciate the way in which FFXII allowed me to set my own pace, ensuring that I always had something to do outside of the main quest. In fact, it wasn't uncommon for me to spend whole days just running back and forth across Ivalice, grabbing this or killing that in an effort to continue powering up my characters. Whenever I got bored, I knew that the narrative would be there to get things moving.

So when I hear that people foundFFXII boring, I'm honestly puzzled. Star Ocean: Til the End of Time was boring, dropping you on one non-descript medieval planet after another, with little in the way of anything interesting to do. FFXII, meanwhile, almost suffers from the opposite problem, offering so much in the way of content that I honestly felt overwhelmed at points. It was one thing to move at my own pace, but staring at the mile long marks list (longer, after I abruptly realized I hadn't yet visited the clan hall), I couldn't help feeling a bit dizzy. It was at those times that I looked at FFXII as a whole, and wondered what the heck I had gotten myself into.

It really doesn't help that the overall pacing is, shall I say, deliberate. Not dull or overly slow, just, you know, deliberate. I think the combat in particular contributes to this overall feeling, even though it's technically faster than what you would find in previous games. Mostly, I just found it repetitive to watch my characters automatically dispatch the baddies using the same methods again and again, even though that should technically make it no different than any other RPG. I think part of the problem was that encounters felt far more numerous, though it wasn't as noticeable thanks to a lack of a transition. I also could have sworn that the enemies took a lot longer to take down, thanks mostly in part to the fact that all I did was hack and slash at them.

I wish I could say that there was more to it than that, but unless I was tangling with a mark or a boss, there really wasn't.It's not that I didn't like Final Fantasy XII's new and unique take on combat, it's just that when it comes right down to it, I prefer the speed and variety of Persona 3. Or heck, Final Fantasy X.

But for all of that, I can't write off FFXII. I don't think I would ever call it my "favorite" Final Fantasy game, but I appreciate the bold risks that were taken in the design. Repetiveness of the overall grind aside, the combat really is a joy when it’s at its very best. Similarly, while I certainly believe that the execution could have used a bit more work in place, I genuinely enjoyed what I saw of the story. Truly, I think FFXII lays the foundation for what should be the best RPG ever, which makes its flaws just that much more disappointing. I just can't help thinking, "If only they had gotten the espers right" or "If only the combat were more balanced in general."

In the end though, I suppose that complaints like these come part and parcel with experimental RPGs in general. While there are aspects of it that just don't particularly appeal to me (I guess I'm just not cut out for MMOs), I appreciate it for the risks that it takes, and I can certainly see why some people would call it their favorite Final Fantasy game, even if I personally don't agree with them. You know me though; I'll always love crazy old Final Fantasy IX. I guess there's just not enough room in my heart for two.

 

 

Find out more about JRPGs (as well as my "Personal Favorites" of 2011 and my "Most Anticipated" for 2012) at http://themolloyboy.blogspot.com/.